This invention relates to a paracentesis catheter system for removing fluids from the abdominal cavity and also for administering medication into the abdominal cavity.
There are numerous conditions which frequently cause fluids to collect in a patient's abdomen. One of these diseases, ascitis, is caused by a malignancies of the abdominal cavity and liver as well as various forms of liver diseases like liver cirrhosis. Collected ascitic fluid distends the abdominal cavity, causing local discomfort and shortness of breath. This fluid must be removed for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The administration of medication into the abdominal cavity may follow the ascitic fluid drainage. Chemotherapy treatment or biologic response modifiers may be administered through the paracentesis catheter system to help management of malignancies.
In the past, the fluid has been removed by using trocar needle with catheters or catheter systems that are custom prepared for other medical procedures, such cathereter or catheter system include blood sets or catheters used for thoracentesis procedures.
Using the trocar needle, the medical personnel will first place a relatively large trocar needle in the patient and then thread a smaller catheter through the center of the needle. Either the needle must remain in the patient during the fluid draining procedure or else the needle can be. However, a removed trocar needle that is not removed will surround the portion of the catheter outside the body during the remainder of the procedure. The trocar needle is generally covered with body fluids and may expose hospital personnel to contaminated body fluids. Also the catheters used with the trocar needles are generally single hole catheters which can be easily occluded.
A blood donor set which has been used in the past for this procedure comprises a piece of tubing with a needle at each end and a roller clamp in the middle. This set is most often used with an evacuator bottle and requires that the sharp metal needle remain in the abdomen during the procedure. Because of the suction of the bottle, organs can be drawn to the sharp needle and can be damaged and/or also occlude the needle hole.
There are other drainage systems that are available either commercially or as assembled by hospital personnel. Generally they use a needle for insertion into the body cavity. These prior art systems allow for leakage of body fluids which may be undesirable in view of today's awareness of infectious diseases and the possibility of contamination by body fluids and the associated risks to hospital personnel. In addition, a needle cores skin and tissue when it is inserted into the patient, causing bleeding during and after the procedure. The end of the needle must be closed to prevent opening the body cavity to air. This increases the possibility of infection.
The paracentesis catheter system described herein is an improvement over the systems presently available because it provides a quick and efficient means to remove the fluid from the abdominal cavity and to provide a sample for diagnosis. This system also provides the advantage of substantially reducing or eliminating leakage of body fluids and also allows the administration of medication into the abdominal cavity.